There was a time when the only solution to get more punch, controlled sustain, and presence out of a bass drum in the mix was to run to your bedroom and grab the first available pillow or blanket, and shove it right into the drum. Although this creative technique is still put in practice in studios and on stages all around the world, many of the biggest names in drumhead manufacturing have sent their designing skills to the drawing board to create a more polished version of this concept, not only making the application of such a technique more refined, but also saving us the embarrassment of having our old bedding items as part of our drum equipment.

Evans started to experiment with the idea of creating mounted dampening systems on bass drum heads with the release of their EMAD series. The EMADs quickly became one of the company’s most used heads. Pushing the concept a little further, Evans then decided to synthesize EMAD’s dampening system with the dense, punchy and durable qualities of their G Plus series. The G Plus features an exclusive 12-mil single ply film made especially for Evans. The breeding result of these two heads gives birth to the GMAD.

Evans’ GMAD can be considered a sort-of “kit” for punchy bass drums, if you will. Single thick film for attack and low-end tonality, a set of two (3/4” and 1 ˝”) foam rings for the featured mounted system, and Evans’ slam patch. Truly a nice combo if you want a bass drum with a super defined attack, something that I believe most drummers want, but can’t always easily obtain. The combination of these ideas culminates in what differs this head from those propped by pillows or blankets, Tonal Quality. Commonly, if you want more attack and punch, chances are sustain and tone will suffer. This certainly doesn’t apply to GMAD. The externally mounted adjustable damping system enhances and sharpens attack definition while controlling and not killing the true tone of the head. Because of its thickness, the 12-mil single-ply film creates bold low-end frequencies, which is then controlled and smoothed by the EMAD system, giving it a shorter decay.

The sum of the concepts applied on GMAD gives this drumhead an aggressive attack character but with a beautiful and rich tonal core. The GMAD fits well on many music styles, from RnB to Pop to Metal. For those looking for professional and punchy sounding kick, the GMAD is certainly a great option to go with.